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In this study, complete solid state amorphization in nanocrystalline nickel has been achieved through cryogenic laser shock peening (CLSP). High resolution transmission electron microscopy has revealed the complete amorphous structure of the sample after CLSP processing. A molecular dynamic model has been used to investigate material behavior during the shock loading and the effects of nanoscale grain boundaries on the amorphization process. It has been found that the initial nanoscale grain boundaries increase the initial Gibbs free energy before plastic deformation and also serve as dislocation emission sources during plastic deformation to contribute to defect density increase, leading to the amorphization of pure nanocrystalline nickel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface nanocrystallization has been shown to increase corrosion resistance of metallic materials. Ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) is a recently developed method, which utilizes low amplitude ultrasonic frequency vibrations superimposed on a static load to induce high strain rate plastic deformation on a material surface for grain refinement. The present work investigates the effective depth of the severe plastic deformation layer by UNSM treatment, identifies the microstructure change and phase transformation within this layer, and correlates them with the enhanced pitting corrosion resistance of 304 SS in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of an external magnetic field on the anodic arc root movement inside a dc plasma torch has been investigated. In this letter, a virtual instrument technology was used to measure the arc voltage of the plasma torch at atmospheric pressure, and the rotating frequency of the anodic arc root was estimated by high-speed photography. The arc voltage fluctuation which represents the degree of the arc instability was reduced. And a new peak, whose frequency is consistent with the rotating frequency of the anodic arc root, was found in the Fast Fourier Transform spectra of the arc voltage signal. From the results, the helical instability generated directly by anodic arc rotation is put forward, and only the appropriate external magnetic field could inhibit and reduce the instability of the plasma torch and prolong the life of the anodic electrode. Furthermore, the measured voltage waveforms indicated that the arc root attachment mode would be controllable by an external magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Fokker–Planck code is developed to simulate the laser–plasma interaction in the femtosecond-laser shock peening and forming processes. A numerical scheme dealing with high-energy concentration and its resulting steep gradient are presented, and the source code is provided as supplementary material for further usage. The breakdown of the classical heat transport theory is observed when the laser intensity increases. The difference in heat flow between the classical theory and simulation is presented. It is found that the classical heat transport theory overestimates heat flow by orders of magnitude during femtosecond-laser shock peening or forming. As a result, the electron pressure can be underestimated using the classical hydrodynamic code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]